Energy Resistance and Subtypes

These are a couple of very straightforward and honestly pretty boring talents, but structurally they turn up a lot.

This suggests they might be better treated as ‘common elements’ used in constructing other talents (especially cornerstone and capstone) but for now I’ll write them as standalone talents.

Energy Resistance

You are resistant to damage from one or more energy types (fire, cold, electricity, sonic, acid).

Tier Benefit
Basic 5 points energy resistance
Expert 15 points energy resistance
Heroic 30 points energy resistance
Master 45 points energy resistance
Champion 60 points energy resistance
Legendary 75 points energy resistance
Epic 90 points energy resistance

The points of energy resistance are divided among the various energy types as you see fit when you take this talent.

This talent may be taken more than once and grant you more points of energy resistance. However, you may be no more resistant to a single energy type than you could with a single talent. That is, regardless of how many times you take Expert Energy Resistance it can provide only fifteen  points of resistance to a single energy type.

Fire Subtype

Some creatures are so attuned to fire that they are considered immune to fire, but they are vulnerable (take 50% more damage from) cold effects.

I am not comfortable granting true immunity to an energy type for a low-tier talent slot. Instead, each tier of this talent gives a high degree of fire resistance and vulnerability to cold. The level of resistance should be high enough to prevent fire damage from attacks from the same tier, and may significantly reduce damage from higher tiers, without rendering the creature entirely immune. The vulnerability stands at 50% additional damage.

Tier Benefit
Basic 10 points fire resistance, vulnerability to cold
Expert 25 points fire resistance, vulnerability to cold
Heroic 50 points fire resistance, vulnerability to cold
Master 75 points fire resistance, vulnerability to cold
Champion 100 points fire resistance, vulnerability to cold
Legendary 125 points fire resistance, vulnerability to cold
Epic 150 points fire resistance, vulnerability to cold

Cold Subtype

Some creatures are so attuned to cold that they are considered immune to cold, but they are vulnerable (take 50% more damage from) fire effects.

I am not comfortable granting true immunity to an energy type for a low-tier talent slot. Instead, each tier of this talent gives a high degree of cold resistance and vulnerability to fire. The level of resistance should be high enough to prevent cold damage from attacks from the same tier, and may significantly reduce damage from higher tiers, without rendering the creature entirely immune. The vulnerability stands at 50% additional damage.

Tier Benefit
Basic 10 points cold resistance, vulnerability to fire
Expert 25 points cold resistance, vulnerability to fire
Heroic 50 points cold resistance, vulnerability to fire
Master 75 points cold resistance, vulnerability to fire
Champion 100 points cold resistance, vulnerability to fire
Legendary 125 points cold resistance, vulnerability to fire
Epic 150 points cold resistance, vulnerability to fire

Closing Comments

It appears (Fire) and (Cold) subtypes are the only ones that cause vulnerability. I am tempted to drop the Energy Subtype talents (they aren’t as generally applicable as they had seemed) and just use Energy Resistance. I include them here for completeness, but do not plan to use them.

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5 Comments

  1. David Lamb

    ISTM the fact that you *can* model vulnerability, but don’t want to use the subtypes, rings some alarm bells. I’m not sure what the alarms are warning about, but it suggests that a common idea (high resistance modified by a vulnerability) isn’t fitting into Echelon very well.

    The first thing that came to mind is whether tackling a vulnerability this way is some kind of first step towards having “disadvantages” like GURPS and UA flaws. Is that possibly part of why you don’t like them? Lots of people seem to think that disadvantages are for munchkins to buy more good stuff (while picking disads that won’t actually hurt much in practice). Lots of other people seem to think disads make characters more interesting. I’m not sure where I stand on the issue — maybe a little on the “makes things interesting” side with some uneasiness about abusing them.

    • Actually, I’m philosophically okay with certain benefits having baggage. Cornerstones or capstones might be better places to have them than common talents, but I don’t mind having them.

      In this case I question the need for them, since the Fire and Cold subtypes appear to be the only ones that have these vulnerabilities.

        • I seem to recall seeing — in some edition — where they had generalized more broadly.

          From what I can see, though, it appears earth and acid are sometimes associated. I don’t know that I’d want to try to make that the vulnerability.

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